I've never really gotten why people use a "that's going to kill you" argument against ANYTHING. No matter what the transhumanists want, everybody is going to kakk it sooner or later, so telling me that something is probably going to kill me doesn't really do me much good.

Note that I don't eat meat, smoke, or drink. Meat I've already mentioned. Smoke? Sorry, I've seen what 40 years of cigarettes has done to my father. I'll pass. (And, on that topic, while I understand that back in the day the tobacco companies were mum on the nasty shit cigarette smoke does to your body and the addictiveness of nicotine, thus excusing most middle-aged and older smokers -- and let me tell you, smoking is almost impossible to quit when you've been at it for 20 to 30 years (almost, but not quite impossible) -- why the f*ck would any thinking being want to START? Quitting is almost impossible. The benefits are negligible ("It relaxes me." "It gives me something to do with my hands." "Yes, it also costs you $3+ a pack, will give you a particularly un-fun form of cancer for some time before you finally kick the bucket, makes you stink, and once that physical nicotine addiction sets in -- which usually only takes a couple of cigarettes -- you can pretty much forget quitting."), the costs tremendous, and it's growing more difficult to actually pursue on a daily basis. Drinking? Nothing wrong with it, unless, of course, you're alcoholic, as I'm quite likely to become in my current emotional state. (I used to drink occasionally, but I haven't had a drop since my mother's funeral.)

In other words, "That'll kill you" only carries some weight if it's going to make you die rather than suffer what happens before you die. Heart attack? I'm not saying I have a death wish (well, not much of one right now, anyway), but if I'm gonna go, some numbness in my arm followed by some difficulty breathing and then that's all she wrote... well, that don't sound to bad. I'd rather die of a heart attack than a prolonged bout with cancer.

-- Sean --morbid? yes, yes I am morbidhttp://www.thebrokenlink.orgThe Broken Link 4.0 is live!"Imagination is more important than knowledge." -- Albert Einstein"It's not easy being green." -- Kermit the Frog